attache

/ˌætəˈʃeɪ/

Other forms: attaches

An attaché is a thin briefcase used for carrying papers. It is sometimes called an attaché case. You may notice that in spy movies, an attaché is often swapped out by the bad guy, and then the good guy spends the rest of the movie trying to get it back.

Attaché comes from the French attacher, which literally means "attached," and it was first applied to someone working for a diplomat, such as a junior officer. Now an attaché is a technical expert assigned to the staff of a diplomatic mission. If you are an expert on the customs of a certain country, you may be asked to be a cultural attaché and advice the ambassador for that country.

Definitions of attache

1. noun

   a specialist assigned to the staff of a diplomatic mission
   types:

   cultural attache

   an attache who is a specialist in cultural matters

   military attache

   an attache who is a specialist in military matters

   air attache

   a military attache who is a commissioned or warrant officer in an air force

   army attache

   a military attache who is a commissioned or warrant officer in an army

   naval attache

   a military attache who is a commissioned or warrant officer in a navy

   type of:

   specialiser, specialist, specializer

   an expert who is devoted to one occupation or branch of learning
2. noun

   a shallow and rectangular briefcase
   synonyms: attache case

   type of:

   briefcase

   a case with a handle; for carrying papers or files or books